New technology being introduced to college campuses nationwide could ease the pain of doing laundry in the residence halls.
E-suds, a collaboration between International Business Machines and USA Technology, will web-enable washing machines and clothes dryers, allowing students to check machine availability, dispense detergent and fabric softener, and receive notification when their clothes are ready to be picked up.
Nine thousand machines are being installed on forty campuses, mainly in the Midwest. Ohio State University and Cedarville University are among those to pilot the program this semester.
American Sales Inc. will be providing the machines to colleges testing the program.
"I think it'd be a great idea," said Aaron Krygier, a junior theatre major. "As long as you don't have to pay for it."
According to the IBM press release, e-suds is "far more sophisticated than traditional coin-operated laundromats," and will allow students to pay for the service through their cellular phones, computers or with their ID cards.
USA Technology will provide the technology to help make each transaction cost-effective for vendors. IBM will host the program's Web sites and monitor transaction data as well as handle payment authorization.
The companies predict that e-suds will assist in machine maintenance as well as help to curb vandalism.
The technology will enable laundromat owners to go online to monitor machine performance and conduct proactive maintenance. Owners will also be able to check filter clogs, water temperatures and usage patterns, reducing the need for on-site service calls, according to the press release.
The cashless vending system is expected to reduce vandalism, not including the cost of repairing and replacing machines, because less physical contact with the machines will take place. According to the press release, sources in the vending industry estimate annual losses of $500 million due to vandalism.
Although the program is in its beginning stages, it is not likely UB will be participating in the near future.
According to Mark Dembs, president of State Wide Machinery, UB installed new washing machines last year, spending between $100,000 and $200,000.
"These machines are not fitted with the technology that is needed to hook them up to the program," said Dembs, whose company supplies UB with its laundry machines. "In order for UB to do this, they would have to junk all brand new equipment and buy all new machines that would cost between $1,200 to $1,500 per unit."
Dembs said UB replaces their machines every six or seven years and spends $20,000 to $25,000 per year on maintenance.
"It would cost the students about $1.35 per wash and an additional $1.35 per dry," said Dembs. "Technology is wonderful, but it doesn't come free."
Dewey Bush, the associate director of the university residence halls, said it would cost UB between $400,000 and $500,000 for just the new e-suds machines.
"We would also have to pay for the computer programs, the wiring and the maintenance," said Bush. "When you don't charge, you eliminate many maintenance problems because most of them have to do with the money system. This means more machines are working for a longer period of time."
Students, too, expressed concern over the increased cost that would accompany the heightened technology.
"I don't think it's a good idea," said Ben Lau, a fifth-year chemistry major. "It's free right now, you can't ask for more."
"It doesn't sound like a good idea to me," said freshman John Flanagan, a communication and Spanish major. "What if the computer messes up and they put too much detergent?"
